The bodies of two presumed hostages were escorted by IDF forces across the border into Israel on October 15th, 2025, shortly before 9:36 PM UTC, and are currently en route to the National Center for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for identification. The development follows previous confirmations from the IDF that the bodies were handed over by Hamas via Red Cross vehicles within Gaza earlier in the day. IDF representatives are accompanying family members of the potential victims. According to a joint statement from the IDF and Shin Bet spokesmen, the identification procedure at the forensic institute is pending. The IDF has requested the public to exercise sensitivity and await official confirmation to be provided to the families first. This handover brings the number of deceased individuals whose remains Hamas is believed to still hold to 19, according to previous IDF statements. President Donald Trump commented on the situation, stating that Hamas is "digging in search of the bodies of the hostages," and noted that "some of the bodies have been buried for a long time, and some are under the rubble." Hamas has previously claimed difficulties in recovering the remaining bodies due to a need for specialized equipment, while Israeli officials maintain that Hamas possesses knowledge of the exact locations of the deceased hostages. Hamas has not identified the two individuals whose remains were returned.
